2009 Boston Massacre Reenactment

March 5 marks the 239th anniversary of the Boston Massacre, one of the important historical events in the years leading up to the American Revolution. The Bostonian Society commemorates the massacre with a series of events this weekend. 

Friday, March 6

Historic Voices: Echoing Boston Patriots

6:30-8:30 PM

In the years that followed the Boston Massacre, citizens crowded the halls of Old South Meeting House on the anniversary of the event to hear Boston's greatest orators speak about freedom and democracy. Boston Latin School students will dramatize the eloquent words of orators such as John Hancock and Joseph Warren. Free; at the Old South Meeting House. 

Saturday, March 7

Little Redcoats: Kids Reenact the Massacre 

11-11:30 AM and 2-2:30 PM

Youngsters can star in a reenactment of the Boston Massacre led by National Park Service rangers. Free; on the mall outside of the Old State House.

Trial of the Century

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 2:30 PM-3:30 PM

Watch John Adams defend the British soldiers accused of murdering Bostonians. Audience members act as jurors to decide whether the soldiers acted in self-defense. Free with admission to Old State House museum.

Boston Massacre Reenactment

7-7:45 PM 

Local reenactors portray the Boston Massacre outside the Old State House. Free.

If you're looking for a way to commemorate the massacre on March 5 itself, visit the Boston Massacre Memorial on Boston Common. For more information on the monument's dedication (and the controversy about honoring the massacre victims), click here.